Donald C. Despain, Papers
Title: Donald C. Despain,
Papers
Creator: Despain, Donald
Cameron (1881-1971)
Dates: 1889-1971; bulk
1935-1965
Quantity: 24
boxes (23 linear feet)
Collection Number: MS
0320
Language: English
Restrictions: None
Access and Use: For information on access or copyright, please see our guidelines or email
archives@unl.edu.
Historical Records Statement: Please see our statement on historical records and materials.
Preferred Citation: Donald C. Despain, Papers (MS 0320). Archives & Special Collections, University of
Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries.
Alternative Format: None
Biography:
Donald Cameron Despain was born in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, on August 19, 1881. He attended the
University of Nebraska in the fall semester of 1902 where he studied law and political economy.
After his time at the University he worked for the Nebraska Bureau of Statistics and advanced to
the rank of commissioner. Leaving Nebraska, Despain moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he worked
as an attorney specializing in management and labor relations. Despain believed in insuring bank
deposits and worked towards making this a standard banking practice. According to Despain, his
work resulted in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Despain also believed that
the use of agricultural products for alcohol based fuel or fuel-additives could assist American
farms. In 1961 his book, The One and Only Solution to the Farm
Problem, was published. Despain passed away on April 8, 1971.
Scope and Content:
The collection consists of research files, correspondence, and publications created or
collected by Despain. His papers are arranged by topic and the original order of the files has
been maintained whenever possible. Most of the files contain a combination of correspondence,
reports, newspaper or magazine clippings, manuscripts, and other research materials.
Subjects:
Despain, Donald C.
Nebraska
University of Nebraska--Lincoln
Chicago (Ill.)
Deposit insurance
Industrial relations
Management
Labor
Profit-sharing
Agriculture
Agricultural chemistry
Chemurgy
Alcohol fuel industry
Ethanol
Gasohol
Container List:
Please contact the Archives & Specials Collections for a container list or for more
information about this collection.
Related Material and Resources: For additional alcohol fuel industry related materials see the Nebraska Ethanol Board, Records
(Spec MS 63). |